Oman becomes first GCC country to ratify Maritime Labour Convention
Published: 05:04 PM,Apr 12,2022 | EDITED : 09:04 PM,Apr 12,2022
maritime
The Sultanate of Oman submitted the document of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 as amended by the International Labour Organisation and based on the Royal Decree approving the accession. The Sultanate of Oman is the first Gulf country to ratify this agreement.
The agreement holds significance as Covid-19 infections caused hundreds of thousands of seafarers to be effectively stranded at sea because they were unable to disembark from ships, including repatriating at the end of their tours of duty, thus putting the safety and future of shipping at risk.
Nasser bin Salem al Hadrami, Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Labour, said that the Maritime Labour Convention is an international labour agreement issued by the International Labour Organization and is widely known as the ‘Seafarers’ Rights Charter’ and was adopted by representatives of governments, employers and workers at an international labour conference.
The agreement aims to achieve decent work for seafarers, secure economic interests, and ensure fair competition among owners of high-quality vessels. The agreement establishes international minimum standards for living and working onboard ships for seafarers in addition to providing decent work and strengthening the protection of working conditions for them.
Guy Ryder, the ILO Director-General, described the development as a milestone. He said Oman, a longstanding maritime nation, has shown the way forward for other countries in the region. “Oman becomes the first member of the Gulf Cooperation Council to join the global efforts to ensure decent work for seafarers and fair competition for shipowners,” he added.
Idris Abdul Rahman al Khanjari, the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the UN in Geneva, formally submitted the ratification documents on March 29.
Al Khanjari underscored the country’s commitment to safeguarding the labour rights of those who work on the high seas. “Joining the MLC, 2006, is a clear confirmation of the Sultanate of Oman’s longstanding tradition as a prominent maritime nation in the region. This ratification reaffirms the commitment of my country to uphold the provisions of the Convention to achieve decent work for seafarers,” he said.
The MLC brought together many existing labour standards that no longer reflected contemporary working and living conditions, had low ratification levels, or had inadequate enforcement and compliance systems. Combining them into one Convention makes it easier for countries to regulate and enforce consistent industry norms and standards worldwide, according to the ILO.
The MLC was adopted in February 2006 and entered into force on 20 August, 2013. Since then, it has become a worldwide reference for the maritime industry and a pillar of international maritime rules and regulations. The heads of two organisations that represent seafarers and ship-owners, respectively, have also welcomed this latest ratification.
“As the first Gulf State to adopt the MLC, Oman extends the safeguards of this Convention not only to its own seafarers, but also to those who call into its ports and navigate through its strategically important waters,” said Stephen Cotton General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
Guy Platten, Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), said that it is now more vital than ever for more governments to ratify the Convention. “Reaching 100 signatories is an important milestone. As we saw throughout the pandemic and the crew change crisis, governments who have ratified the Convention must stand by their words and take action to protect seafarers’ rights,” he said.
The agreement holds significance as Covid-19 infections caused hundreds of thousands of seafarers to be effectively stranded at sea because they were unable to disembark from ships, including repatriating at the end of their tours of duty, thus putting the safety and future of shipping at risk.
Nasser bin Salem al Hadrami, Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Labour, said that the Maritime Labour Convention is an international labour agreement issued by the International Labour Organization and is widely known as the ‘Seafarers’ Rights Charter’ and was adopted by representatives of governments, employers and workers at an international labour conference.
The agreement aims to achieve decent work for seafarers, secure economic interests, and ensure fair competition among owners of high-quality vessels. The agreement establishes international minimum standards for living and working onboard ships for seafarers in addition to providing decent work and strengthening the protection of working conditions for them.
Guy Ryder, the ILO Director-General, described the development as a milestone. He said Oman, a longstanding maritime nation, has shown the way forward for other countries in the region. “Oman becomes the first member of the Gulf Cooperation Council to join the global efforts to ensure decent work for seafarers and fair competition for shipowners,” he added.
Idris Abdul Rahman al Khanjari, the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the UN in Geneva, formally submitted the ratification documents on March 29.
Al Khanjari underscored the country’s commitment to safeguarding the labour rights of those who work on the high seas. “Joining the MLC, 2006, is a clear confirmation of the Sultanate of Oman’s longstanding tradition as a prominent maritime nation in the region. This ratification reaffirms the commitment of my country to uphold the provisions of the Convention to achieve decent work for seafarers,” he said.
The MLC brought together many existing labour standards that no longer reflected contemporary working and living conditions, had low ratification levels, or had inadequate enforcement and compliance systems. Combining them into one Convention makes it easier for countries to regulate and enforce consistent industry norms and standards worldwide, according to the ILO.
The MLC was adopted in February 2006 and entered into force on 20 August, 2013. Since then, it has become a worldwide reference for the maritime industry and a pillar of international maritime rules and regulations. The heads of two organisations that represent seafarers and ship-owners, respectively, have also welcomed this latest ratification.
“As the first Gulf State to adopt the MLC, Oman extends the safeguards of this Convention not only to its own seafarers, but also to those who call into its ports and navigate through its strategically important waters,” said Stephen Cotton General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
Guy Platten, Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), said that it is now more vital than ever for more governments to ratify the Convention. “Reaching 100 signatories is an important milestone. As we saw throughout the pandemic and the crew change crisis, governments who have ratified the Convention must stand by their words and take action to protect seafarers’ rights,” he said.